Over 12 lakh sugarcane cutters from Marathwada, North Maharashtra, and Vidarbha could miss their opportunity to vote in the upcoming state assembly elections on November 20. As the cane crushing season begins on November 15, a large number of cutters from these regions have already migrated to sugarcane hubs in western Maharashtra and other states, as reported by the Maharashtra Sugarcane Cutters and Transport Association.
The association has petitioned the Aurangabad High Court Bench, requesting the court to direct the Election Commission to take necessary measures to ensure that this significant group of voters is not denied their right to vote in the upcoming elections.
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The West Indian Sugar Mills Association, however, assured that adequate arrangements would be made to transport workers back to their hometowns on November 20 for voting and to ensure they get their fingers inked. In the petition, Jeevan Rathod, president of the Maharashtra Sugarcane Cutters and Transport Association, stated that 12-15 lakh cutters from Marathwada, North Maharashtra, and Vidarbha typically migrate to sugarcane farming areas in western Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu ahead of the harvesting season.
“With the current harvesting season underway, a significant number of sugarcane cutters have already left their homes and migrated to other regions for work, and they will not return until April or May 2025,” Rathod stated in his petition.